AMENDMENT 308 RATIFIED

Economic Development of Marengo County.

Any provision of the Constitution or laws of the state of Alabama to the contrary notwithstanding, Marengo county acting through the county governing body shall have full and continuing power and authority, after an election held in accordance herewith, to do any one or more of the following:

2. To lease, sell for cash or on credit, exchange, give and convey any such property described in subdivision 1 above, to any person, firm, association or corporation.

3 To promote local industrial, commercial or agricultural development and the location of new industries or businesses therein.

4. To become a stockholder in any corporation, association or company.

5. To lend its credit or to grant public moneys and things of value in aid of, or to, any individual, firm, association, or corporation whatsoever.

6. To become indebted and to issue and sell interest-bearing bonds, warrants (which may be payable from funds to be realized in future years), notes or other obligations or evidence of indebtedness, to a principal amount not exceeding fifty percent of the assessed value of taxable property therein as determined for state taxation, in order to secure funds for the purchase, construction, lease or acquisition of any of the property described in subdivision 1 above or to be used in furtherance of any of the other powers or authorities granted in this amendment. Such obligations or evidences of indebtedness may (in addition to any pledge or pledges authorized by subdivision 8 of this amendment) be issued upon the full faith and credit of Marengo county, or may be limited as to the source of their payment.

The recital in any bonds, warrants, notes or other obligations or evidence of indebtedness that they were issued pursuant to this amendment or that they were issued to provide funds to be used in furtherance of any power or authority herein authorized or that any special tax herein authorized has been pledged to the payment thereof shall be conclusive; no purchaser or holder thereof need inquire further; and the levy and collection of such tax shall continue until the principal of and interest on such obligations or evidence of indebtedness shall have been paid in full. The bonds, warrants, notes or other obligations or evidence of indebtedness issued hereunder shall not be considered an indebtedness of Marengo county for the purpose of determining the borrowing capacity of the county under section 224 of the Constitution; and the taxes herein authorized shall be in addition to those provided for or permitted in section 215 of the Constitution and all amendments thereto.

7. To levy and collect annually, in addition to all other taxes now authorized or permitted, a special tax or taxes of not exceeding two percent on the value of all taxable property therein as determined for state taxation in the same manner as other county taxes are levied and collected. Such tax may be upon all property in the county, or upon all property in any district the boundaries of which the governing body of such county shall describe and which it shall determine to be specially improved and benefited by any proposed use or expenditure of the proceeds of such tax.

8. To pledge to the payment of any bonds, warrants, notes or other obligations or evidence of indebtedness the annual proceeds from any such special tax or taxes and to obligate itself irrevocably to continue to levy and collect such taxes annually until such obligations or evidence of indebtedness are paid in full and to pledge thereto any rental or sales proceeds of property leased or sold by it.

9. To create a public authority or corporation having such powers, managed and governed by such board or governing body subject to such limitations as the governing body of Marengo county may impose, by approving and filing a certificate to that effect in the office of the judge of probate or the secretary of state, or their respective successors in function, and to delegate to such public authority or corporation and its board or governing body all powers and authority conferred in this amendment upon the county.

Marengo county shall not make any engagement or commitment or undertake any project under the provisions hereof unless and until the proposition has been approved by a majority of the qualified electors of the county who vote thereon at a referendum election held for such purpose. The governing body of the county may provide for holding such election, but in no case shall an election be held until notice of the election and of the proposition to be voted on has been published once a week for three successive weeks before the election.

This amendment shall be self-executing; but the legislature may enact general, special or local laws supplemental to this amendment or in furtherance of the purposes and objectives hereinabove set forth.